Did you ever want to take a trip back in time to your childhood? Not to change anything, but just to touch or feel something from your past? Me too. I am very nostalgic.
I save a lot of things. I guess it’s because I have a deep appreciation for things gone by. Toys and items from your past can take you back — and make you feel like a kid again like nothing else. The other day, I pulled my very first princess dress out of storage. If you ever wondered what princess dresses looked like in 1984… well, here you go. I think it’s acceptable to call this piece “vintage” now, right?
I still remember wearing this dress for the first time. My mom had taken me on a special trip to Walt Disney World and bought me a Snow White dress. I brought it home, wore it for my school dress-up party for trick-or-treat and won first place. Oh, the memories. The dress, of course, was so special to me, but what’s even more special is that 30+ years later, my daughters get to put it on. I just love sharing pieces of my childhood with my kids — although I do get a little eye roll now and then when I put on a “classic” movie. But they’ve learned to love them, too.
I try to hang on to parts of their childhood, too, so they’ll be able to pass things on to their kids. I recently read a study from OnePoll and commissioned by Life Storage, which found that 76 percent of adults consider themselves to be sentimental. Eighty-four percent of women and 75 percent of men admit to keeping items they don’t use purely for emotional reasons. So I guess we’re not alone. For some, it may be a favorite teddy bear, doll or a transformer. Having those to things to look back on is priceless.
I admit, I’ve tripped up a few times and sold something I wish I could have back. The worst is my husband selling his entire Star Wars toy collection. I still can’t believe we sold them. This was before all the new Star Wars hype and we thought, “Eh…we won’t need these again.” Now our youngest daughter loves Star Wars and we regret selling all of them.
Do you have a special item from your childhood that you’re hanging on to? Just a little reminder: before you get rid of your kids’ things, think twice. Of course you can’t save everything, but make sure you tuck away a few of those special toys or dresses. Their “vintage” toys will probably mean more someday than they — or you — realize.
